Did Novak LIE? Huge twist as Border Force investigate bombshell claims

The Australian Border Force has launched a fresh investigation into Novak Djokovic after it emerged the tennis star may have lied on a travel declaration form before coming to the country.

Court documents released as part of the row over Djokovic's visa show his travel declaration form stated he would not travel to any other countries in the 14 days prior to boarding his flight to Australia on January 4.

In answer to the question: 'Have you travelled, or will you travel, in the 14 days prior to your flight to Australia? Giving false or misleading information is a serious offence. You may also be liable to a civil penalty for giving false or misleading information,' whoever filled out the form selected 'no'. 

That means the 34-year-old tennis player would have needed to remain in the same country since December 21.

But social media images appear to show that he was in Belgrade, Serbia, on December 25 and then in Marbella, Spain, from December 31 until catching his flight to Australia, via Dubai.

It is not clear whether admitting he had travelled to Spain would have automatically disqualified Djokovic from coming to Australia - however, lying on a travel declaration document is punishable by up to 12 months in jail.

News of the investigation is just the latest twist in the Djokovic border saga which saw him thrown in immigration detention on January 5 when the government ripped up his visa for not being vaccinated, before he was freed by a judge yesterday.

Djokovic is now in Melbourne where he has been pictured training at the Rod Laver Arena today, but his fate is still not assured after Australia's immigration minister threatened to use his personal powers to shred the tennis star's visa. 

HOW SOCIAL MEDIA GAVE THE GAME AWAY 

December 25: Belgrade, Serbia, Djokovic is pictured in a social post with handball player Petar Djordjic

December 31: Marbella, Spain, Djokovic is filmed training

January 2: Marbella, Spain, Djokovic is pictured training

January 4: Marbella, Spain, Djokovic is pictured training again before late boarding flight in Spain via Dubai to Australia

January 5: Melbourne, Australia, arrives early AM and is pictured at Australian border gate 

According to his sworn affidavit, Djokovic departed Spain on January 4 and had a stopover in Dubai before landing in Melbourne late on the night of January 5.

The timings mean Djokovic would have had to be in Spain from 11.30pm on December 22 AEDT, (1.30pm Spanish time) to comply with the rules not to travel within two weeks of arriving in Australia, the Herald Sun reported.

But social media posts show Djokovic playing tennis in the streets of Belgrade on December 25 while another post shared on the same day by Serbian handball star Petar Djordjic shows him posing with the tennis star.

'ONE AND ONLY !!!!! Thank you for the picture and for the nice wishes,' Djordjic captioned the photo.

Six days later on New Years Eve, footage emerged of Djokovic having a hit out on the tennis court in south-east Spain.

'We can confirm Novak Djokovic is ready for the Australian if possible!' Soto Tennis Academy captioned the footage.

A close-up photo posted by the academy shows Djokovic using tennis balls emblazoned with the Australian Open logo.

© Provided by Daily Mail JANUARY 5, AUSTRALIA: Novak Djokovic stands at a booth of the Australian Border Force at the airport in Melbourne on January 5 after arriving from Spain, via Dubai

The maximum penalty for  providing false or misleading information to the Australian government is 12 months imprisonment.

I still doubt the Covid claim when a day after he tested positive he carried on with civil activities  as if he was not required to isolate himself after  being tested positive.   He must surle y have been banned from travelling within 14 days after being tested positive.  especially since he traveled from Serbia to Spain some time after Christmas. 

That is not going to be taken  kindly by the Aussie Minister and he may still tear  up the visa by the Minsiter and have him deported from Australia.    This is obviously a hot political potato  and the Aussie Government may not take kindly  to him in this case.     

Other examples  are  Nadal, Rublev and Shapovalov who played in Abu Dhabi on 18 December and from there travelled to Spain where all three tested positive even though they were fully vaccinated.    After being cleared of  the virus  they  only travelled from Spain to Australia after the 14 days lapsed.                  

The dumb Aussie government has now known for a day that the Joker’s form was inaccurate. In the meantime the draw has taken place. How long does it take to decide, the facts are obvious. Ah but I guess the political ramifications are less obvious.

What an embarrassment for Criminal Colony.

Lol...Diggers

The Diggers song

https://youtu.be/PRyDlVOE86U

Mozart

The important thing is not the draw - it can be changed  and will be changed if  there is a change of Djokovic is  sent home and the opinion poll amongst 60 000 participants showed 80%   of the participants want him gone.   The Minister is the decider as to whether Djokovic is allowed to remain and participate  in the Aussie Open.   As you know politicians  are very careful when elections are imminent and that finding is going to be the one probably chosen.

The draw change will at most affect four players, namely -

*    move Medvedev to the position vacated by Djokovic;

*    move  Sverev to take up the position  vacated by  Medvedev;

*    move Tsitsipas to take up the position of Zverev; and 

*    move Rublev to the position  vacated by Tsitsipas

The other changes are administrative and imply the moving up by one of the remaining 31 seeds  and add  a ne w 32 seed.    

For the rest. there will be no changes necessary.   The top 4 seeded players occupy set places in the draw - which can be changed easily.     The number 32 seed will take up the position vacated by Rublev - and the extra qualifier  will be added as a lucky loser.            

Understood Mike…..but if the facts are obvious it hardly lends credibility to the decision when it isn’t made promptly. It has the appearance of political calculation….which of course is exactly what it is.

‘Bombshell’ claims hahaha….the player simply gave them the facts….this hysterical old woman gets funnier by the day.

Mozart

Of course It is totally political - its a fight between the present Governing Party and the Australian Lanbour Party in charge of Victoria.   My own feeling is the governing Party is sneaky.   The decision about deporting of Djokovic  was already taken - but they do not want to announce it just yet.   They will probably send  border guards with the necessary paper work and those will take him and his supporting  staff to  the Melbourne airport and put them on a plane ready to depart.    The press will then be informed that Djokovic and his supporting staff have already left the country.  That would prevent Djokovic from going to court again.      

As expected the Minister cancelled Djokovic's visa again and whether he still is in Australia is not clear.    The fact is the previous court case  during which Djokovic's visa cancellation was nullified  dealt with  technicalities and was not about the merit of the case as such, but the fact that Djokovic was not afforded sufficient time to put his side of the case  for consideration - which is a requirement in case of common law principles .   Based on that technicality  the visa was re-instated.

This time around it won't be that easy to get around the ministerial decision.   Djokovic's lawyers apparently wants to appeal the decision - but whether the court will be able to have a hearing dealing with the validity of the law itself will be a problem and the hearing will not be possible before Monday.   The decision was taken  late on Friday afternoon in Australia  and in view of the fact that  this case will be about the law condition used and the validity of the condition will have much wider implications and will therefore  not be finalized before Monday at its earliest and  the chances are that by Monday Djokovic will not be in Australia anymore.   

Djokovic's conduct in the month leading up to his arrival in Australia was indeed questionable.  The original visa was granted at the end of November 2021 - stating that he had Covid in the six month period  before the date of application.   Subsequent to that it was claimed that he tested positive on 16 December 2021 and did not isolate himself as required.    The fact is that despite the need to limit travel from one country to another in the period of 14 days before his departure for Australia - the statement on that issue in the case of his visa  application was given as no intention to travel to another country in the said 14 days, yet within that period Djokovic did travel from Serbia to Spain within the 14 day period.      

Djokovic's conduct  indicates irresponsibility as to his actions as to the pandemic and - even though the issue is entirely political - the Court is not going to like what happened in the month before Djokovic's entry into Australia.   It could even be argued that his application was fraudulent in that respect and it could lead to his arrest for making a fraudulent statement on the application form.

I think that it is clear now that Djokovic will not be allowed to play in the Aussie Open starting  in about  66 hours from now and even tennis Australia would not be able to do anything other than to cancel his inclusion in the draw.   

Djokovic lawyers asked for an appeal hearing by Judge Kelly - who ruled on the cancellation of visa issue on Monday.   However, he ruled that the matter would be heard by a Federal Judge at 10:00 on Sunday.   The lawyers representing Djokovic  asked that the matter be dealt by Judge Kelly sooner - since the hearing on Sunday could be too late for him  to start playing on Monday,  Judge Kelly got irritated by the request and in the end both Djokovic's and the Aussie  Government  lawyers agreed to the Sunday hearing.  

So what will happen next?   Djokovic will report by 08:00 on Saturday morning  to the border Guard Offices and will then be detained by them.   He will then be taken to the offices of the lawyers until Saturday afternoon with Boarder Guards being  on the same floor as Djokovic .   From there he would be taken to the detention center for staying over at night and then go back to the lawyers office at 08:00  on Sunday.    

Judge Kelly was sympathetic with Djokovic in the case heard by him on Monday because of Administrative deficiencies -  but the decision by the Minister is a completely different kettle of fish.   Administrative deficiencies is not the case here.   Lawyers  practicing in immigration law are of the opinion that there is very little chance of Djokovic's new appeal succeeding.        

I don't know if I share any views or feelings with the present Australian government, certainly no respect by complete vaccilators with no firm decision making ability...weaker than powderpuffs, thicker than prison bricks and the intelligence of panda bears and turkeys.

What an utter disgrace and fiasco. By the way, I'm not not against Aussies, I have a son who is a senior inspector in the police in South Australia...his mother was an Australian and he was born in Perth...he graduated at university. He is a lovely person and strong character and I love him dearly. I did not know he existed until he popped up at my house in SA...twenty years ago.

But how the Aussies, New Zealanders,like the British, and Americans and South Africans are deteriorating into soft, liberal and woke-like cultures disgusts me...pure and utter hipocrisy and they cannot either see it or care a rats arse.

The way they handled Djokovic is bloody disgraceful and disgusting. 

What does your Australian  son says about this lot?

Your description of politicians are very sound.   I have yet to come across a politician who does not put his own interests ahead of the country he or she  is supposed to serve.

Insofar as he infection rate is concerned the number of active cases in the local Municipality dropped from 474 last week to 296 at present.   The wave seems to have run out of steam .         

Maaik, it's absolutely ridiculous that the defending champion won't be allowed to compete, because he transgressed a few stupid covid regs...he's recovered from covid less than a month ago, tested negative a couple of times since, poses no health threat, but is treated like a criminal...this isn't about safety or rules, it's about punishing someone who's against the "vax everyone at all cost" narrative...Australia is fast becoming the same authoritarian arseholes everyone is accusing China of.

Small, ugly, smug….a civilized country like France would never have besmirched their major sporting event in this way. And the reason….that he might incite vaccine resistance. Truly second rate stuff.

Boy am I glad I never chose this dump as my destination.

"civilized country like France would never have besmirched their major sporting event in this way."

Don't be so sure...France has become pretty woke in the last few years.

Mike I would not ask him...I think him being in his type of job might make it difficult.

I sense he sees the foolish and restrictive measures as pure folly and maybe even embarrassing.

One thing I know he is not woke in the slightest, quite the opposite and sees the deterioration of standards everywhere including Australia. 

Law enforcement, whether civil or military, prohibits involvement in political issues...you should know that.

Seb

I have given the rundown on the Djokovic issue as was reported in various press articles.   That does not mean I agree with the handling of the case by the Aussie Government.  

The problem I have with the whole story is that Governments all over the world is using the Covid pandemic as a  political tool to justify actions - which are of a dictatorial nature,.       

I know that you do...I was not suggesting that at all.

The insanity and absurdity is all too obvious and all I can conclude is either people's minds have been completely stolen and trapped. People either have been completely hood winked either by shear stupidity or else by cowardice to be brave enough to think for themselves.

The propaganda war has been used to take control of world thinking and to throw guilt of those who dare to challenge and think for themselves. "How dare anybody challenge mass agreement and dodgy solutions and speculations".

I'm not against those who choose to vaccinate but in the same freedom I respect those who choose not to. Initiative, creativeness and to be what identity you were created to be has been attacked, discouraged and yes indeed persecuted by collective wholes. The majority is not always right, in fact in most things one finds today completely wrong. 

An individual like Novak Djokovic is no threat to anybody, in fact the very opposite...so stupid and so obvious. The joys he gives sport lovers is enormous, his value the same to a wobbly and ailing Australian economy is very substantial. They throw the baby out with the bath water. They strain at miggies and swallow elephants. Jealousy, hypocrisy.

Having said this Mike, I still think his lawyers will win the case and he will play...I really hope so.

Agree totally/    We have the g oats in the world who believes whatever they are told by the media.   They have become the real threat to democracy.   The media are owned by people who think they are superior beings and they hate any opposition - they are the real haters of freedom of the individuals with them ruling the world.

They represent the 21st century Hitlers and Stalins of the world.   Those who oppose their ideas are demonized.   The present pandemic resulting from dubious  scientific research and global warming are two tools they claim are based on science and are used to undermine freedom of people.   Anybody not sharing their ideas are made out to be fanatics.   They hate Putin and love President Xi - they hate honesty in government and support corruption  knowing they can use a threat of exposure to control corrupt politicians.

They lied  about and attacked Trump because he as an opposing person expressing different ideas.   They developed  Goebbels methodology further and use humans as sheeple- people like Sharkbok are their main source of support.   They want democracy to self-destruct and  for them the ideal world population is 500 million people.   Nutcases like Bill Gates even have the audacity to state that in public.

The world is becoming a more dangerous place and the threat to all people by fanatics are increasing.    They would not hesitate to start even nuclear wars to get what they want.    Fascism  is what they support - and they accuse any factual information opposing their ideas as conspiracy theories.   That is why they use indoctrination of children in schools based on Stalinism as a tool to get obedience by instilling hatred of their parents as a means to undermine family life.   They also hate history and culture as opposed to their ideas.   

That is why they would like to destroy much-admired people like  Djokovic, because he poses a threat to their ideals.    Just watch the following video  to see what is really  happening o a continuous basis:-

Intercept Smears WRONG Reporter For Doing Reporting - Bing video      

 Glenn Greenwald: Intercept Targets Journalists Of Color - Bing video  

Bill Gates Caught Buying Positive News Coverage - YouTube

Remember Jimmy Dore is an ultra-liberal.

                  .   .       .       

The French still see themselves as different, capable of the dissenting view. They probably have the strongest national identity among the Western countries. I think they are capable of swimming against the stream and I think I read somewhere that the government has said he would be granted access.

But who knows the only thing more infectious than Covid is Wokid.

The handling of this incident is nothing but a disgrace.

My 21 year old granddaughter has had two shots of the vaccine plus the latest booster shot and has been tested positive with Covid exactly four days after the booster shot.

So just how are the masks and this miracle vaccine preventing the spread of the virus?

All political and covering up the facts by medial professional and the political animals.

Please don't tell me that the booster shot is only active on day five or six.

ALL BS.

Maybe the French are so pissed off with the Aussies - and that include the USA and the UK -  they might let Djokovic play.    

However there will be French Presidential election this year - so one never knows what is going to happen.   Elections drive politicians dilly - so we do not know how they will behave .     

The appeal of Djokovic will be heard by a panel of 3 judges    The appeal hearing will start ay 10:30 Sydney time - ie  01:30 SA time.     

Djokovic lost appeal and will now be kept in custody and a deportation order finalized.   He is likely to be sent out of Australia on the first available flight.    

Sorry for the guy and admire his resistance against vaccines and his fight gainst dictatorial measures by Governments. 

Part of his deportation conditions will include a ban of visas for three years and that will only be lifted on special appeal.   

Wonder what Tennis Australia will do about the draw?   The easy way out is to bring in a lucky loser to replace Djokovic in his first round match - but that would upset the applecart and make life rather easier for the players in the Top half of the draw.              

"They probably have the strongest national identity among the Western countries. I think they are capable of swimming against the stream and I think I read somewhere that the government has said he would be granted access."

Probably why the strongest protests aging  covid regulations were in France. 

Macron is not the  most popular President France ever had.   In 2019 there were major protests against his Government and the situation has never really stabilized since then.

The French Presidential election is in April 2022 and although he has according to opinion polls the highest support of all candidates - a run-off election would be inevitable.   Not sure what will happen.     

France's sports minister said on Friday that Novak Djokovic can play in this year's French Open, even if he is not vaccinated for COVID-19. 

Mozart

I think that from a broader perspective/ with the refugee problems the Aussies face the Judges will not easily give a ruling that could serve as a precedent in limiting the powers of the minister in terms of the Immigration Law.

By the way - will that Sports Minister still be in the relevant job by the time the French Open  takes place?

.

The judges and the minister ruled the way they did because the Australian public had a vindictive attitude.

Precisely Moz, Woke culture permeates into virtually all issues today, it is sometimes so subtle which is it's danger especially with disfunctional offsprings of deteriorating standards of humanity today. It's seems only the older folk today pick it up. Breeding, manners and culture are dead today. 

It's terrible to those who see what's happening in the darkness and blindness ...especially when we have children and grandchildren that are being indocrinated with this poison whether in substance or mind.

A victory for the vaccinated against the unvaccinated...

One of my best friends from childhood - an uncle of the Rugby player Frans Malherbe - died this morning from Covid infection.   He was a very sick man - spent about 6 months in hospital last year and was drinking 8 pills a day,   He was advised by the doctors not to take vaccines and died after getting complications caused by the virus.   Now who was ight in that case?   Probably nobody   

"A victory for the vaccinated against the unvaccinated."

No victory at all, this has got to be the most stupid comment ever produced here.

What it does show is the utter inability of leadership in Australia and the extreme pet tiness of woke thinking.

Absoltely no winners, tennis is poorer not to mention Australian tennis, unnecessary pain and costs to Novak Djokovic, including his fans.

Yes, no winners, no right or wrong in the context you mean and sincere condolences about the loss of your old school friend...

Nazi Australia's 4th Reich triumphs again.Now they can have a 4th rate tennis winner.

What a complete and utter farce this turned out to be...

It could have been handled so much better by Novak, his team and the Aussie government.

My take on Novak has not changed at all, only because of the way he just constantly and consistently does his own thing, which in itself is not really a bad thing at all, and it's one of the reasons I do enjoy him, but when he puts other people at potentially severe risks, ahead of his own needs, all the time..... then I do question the guys character... and he has done this far too many times recently.

Here is the tournament he held last year, which he was originally advised not to do, and he quite rightly got lambasted by a lot of people both in and out of tennis because of what happened.....a total disregard for any kind of rules..... in fact making a mockery of any pandemic

Adria Tour

Here is another incident now where he just apologizes for this having affected so many people..... to what degree we don't and will never know..... but he just seems to have a bad habit now of asking for forgiveness instead of permission, and not really give a shit about how it affects anyone around him, besides himself...... as someone alluded to earlier in another thread, imagine he unexpectedly caused the death of someone that contracted this virus from his tour..... and passed it on to someone they love.

When it goes wrong he just simply apologizes...

Just like the Aussie open, he was advised a year in advance that no player would be entitled to play, unless they were vaccinated, and I fully support his choice to not get vaccinated, just like I fully support the Aussie criteria to enter their country.

Novak however has shown a few times now already, that he does not care for other people's safety, only his own freedom, just like he did by attending functions knowing that he was possibly positive for Covid, then apologizing for doing it, just like his tour where so many people got infected with Covid.

Then he lied about going to another country before entering Australia.... and apologized again...

The he blamed his agent for ticking the wrong box.....

Then he demanded a tennis court whilst in detention, or at least his team did....and better food than the other detainees...

I don't for one second say that this was handled in the best way, but one thing for me is absolutely certain..... Djokovic doesn't play by the rules, and he certainly doesn't play fair, and he has shown the tendency to always put his own freedom above any other person's safety, or health and well being....

I think Nigel Farage says it best!

NIGEL FARAGE: This is not about borders. Australia does have a very good border policy, and I commend them for it. This is not about borders. This is about hysteria surrounding a vaccine and a vaccine that may make you less ill if you get COVID. But a vaccine that does not stop you catching COVID, doesn't stop you transmitting COVID. 

And isn't it ironic that Australia, one of the most heavily vaccinated countries in the world, one of the most locked-down countries in the world, and currently they're having tens of thousands of new cases every single day. That makes me ask some really big questions, and I think what's happening here is – and I'm sad to say this – Australia is becoming an authoritarian country where there is no freedom of choice. 

…..

This is a case where those ‘following the science’ are actually ignoring it in the face of all the evidence. Australia despite it’s modest population has been in the top 5 countries in the world in infections for the last week.

Personally I still believe everybody should be vaccinated. For their own protection. Because there are some studies that say the boosted are slightly better protected against Omicron and because it may protect better against the next variant.

But you could also make the case that Omicron is nature’s vaccination. Which ever way you look at it the Joker was a danger to nobody.

By the way DA I don’t disagree with much of what you say, Novak was selfish and ill advised in much of what he did. But he is a non conformist, to use an old term.

Coming from South Africa where dissension wasn’t exactly welcomed, I have come to value the aberrant point of view. It may not be right but it makes the debate richer and more honest.

If the Joker was a danger to anybody he should not have been allowed to play. I can even accept a general rule that says he shouldn’t be allowed in, because others who slipped in under that rule could be a danger. Australia waived that by creating the exemption for those who had Covid….perhaps their  big mistake.

But tossing him because of his views is iron curtain behavior.

"By the way DA I don’t disagree with much of what you say, Novak was selfish and ill advised in much of what he did..."

Uh -Oh A U Turn, well then if you don't disagree and Novak has apologised then what on earth s there to say other than "Case Closed."

And as for "iron curtain behavior" well now there's a laugh. He was given a fair hearing at the taxpayers expense and quarantined in the same hotel where every other migrant is quarantined with similar circumstances. The Australian Government has been fair and consistent in it's treatment of Novak.

The ruling was clear from the beginning, abide by our rules when you step onto our turf and if every Australian has to live by the rules and make sacrifices then who is he as a visitor to "non conform"?

He ignored the rules, showed total disregard for the well being of others......naaah he was no "non conformist"....try Prima Donna and hey BTW we don't need an anti vax hero either.....we have our own, some are six foot under and have and are taking others with them.

Glad to see you agree with DA, now that's being a good boy.

Case closed.